Here We Go Again
by ShirleyTemple24
Summary: Yet another little Almeida... post-S4 AU fluffity fluff.


_Author's Note: I've had this one in the holster for a while. Finally posting! Super fluffy, of course, and very AU. Again. I thought it would be cute if Tony and Michelle had an "oops." Hehe. (We all know they would.)_

**Here We Go Again**

Tony entered the comfortable quiet of his home after finishing up at his work meeting. It was just past seven and he'd phoned Michelle earlier to let her know the meeting would run late and he wouldn't be home for dinner. He crossed through the kitchen and noticed a half-eaten box of pizza on the counter. He grabbed a slice and ate as he made his way into the living room to find his kids playing with giant Legos on the floor. "Hey, guys. Whatcha doin'?"

"Daddy!" his three-year-old, Maddie, exclaimed and ran into his arms.

"Hey, baby girl." Tony knelt down and wrapped one arm around his daughter, kissing her dark, wavy hair, the pizza slice still in his free hand.

"Hey, Anthony." He reached over to kiss his son's head too.

"Me and Anthy are playing with Legos!" Maddie pulled from his embrace and rejoined her brother, building with the plastic blocks.

"Looks fun. Did you have dinner?"

Anthony answered without looking up from his creation, "Yeah, we ate pizza."

"Good. Where's Mommy?" Tony got up from his crouched position and started out of the room.

Anthony looked up at Tony this time when he spoke, slight interest playing in his eyes. "In her room. She's been in there for a long time..."

Tony scrunched his forehead a little at Anthony's information. "Oh, she has?"

His son nodded innocently before going back to playing with Maddie. Tony walked down the hall and entered his empty bedroom. There was no sign of his wife, but he heard movement in the master bathroom. "Michelle? Michelle, I'm home."

"I'm in here, Tony!" a raspy voice came from the adjacent room, warming him just by the familiar sound. He heard more soft clatter in the bathroom and began to undo the top few buttons of his shirt when she called again, "There's pizza on the counter."

"I got some, thanks... You didn't wanna cook?" Tony chuckled at his facetious comment and simply heard a muffled giggle come from Michelle. No typical retort. After a few minutes, when there was no sign of her and Tony's curiosity grew, he started to make his way toward the bathroom. "Michelle, what are you doing in there?"

Just as he said it, Michelle emerged. "Hey," he greeted her, kissing her lips sweetly and quickly. "How was your day?" he casually probed, hoping some explanation for her slightly odd behavior would come up.

When her eyes met his, he noticed there was some tentativeness in them. He was beginning to worry a little. "What is it?"

She continued her gaze and suddenly spoke up bluntly. "Honey, I'm pregnant."

Tony's whole body seemed to take on confusion for a moment while he processed the unexpected information he'd just been given. What did she just say? She was... pregnant? He scrunched his forehead and looked at her disjointedly. "What? Again?"

Michelle sighed and nodded as a humorless giggle escaped her lips.

Tony wasn't hiding the surprise in his face. The news caught him off-guard. They hadn't been planning on having another baby. At all. Especially not now; they weren't exactly spring chickens anymore. He narrowed his eyes at his forehead-creased wife. "Are you sure?"

Michelle took his hand and began leading him into the bathroom. "Well..."

As they walked in, he followed her eyes and found confirmation in what he saw. Three different pregnancy tests were lined up in the sink. All reading positive. He looked back at her and she shrugged, her eyes still colored with a little uncertainty.

He squeezed her hand tighter, looking back at the tests, then to her again. Excitement about the situation began creeping up in him as the initial shock began to sink in. "Looks like we're having another one."

She nodded slowly, a small smile forming on her lips. As he realized what was happening, Tony began to feel joyous about the whole thing. Yeah, they hadn't been planning this. They both thought they were done having kids, but having another child with Michelle couldn't make him anything but thrilled. He loved her and he loved his kids. He actually loved the idea of having another one.

However, her take on the situation didn't seem quite the same as his. He locked eyes with her and took her other hand in his own as well, gently rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs.

After a deep breath she spoke dully. "We weren't planning this..."

"No, we weren't," Tony spoke through his own breathy, humorless chuckle, "but... you're pregnant. And I'm so happy to be having another baby with you, sweetheart."

A bigger smile stretched across his face at the thought of it. They would have another little one around in a few months. They're kids would have a little brother or sister. His sweet wife would be pregnant all over again. New curves, new emotions, new discussions over what the new baby would like. He adored his wife extra when she was carrying a child. He got to worry about her and dote on her and watch her glow each time she caressed her basketball-shaped front. Plus, the brand new life growing inside her gave him a whole other reason to love her infinitely. And no one could wear thirty-five extra pounds more beautifully than Michelle could.

Michelle.

As he snapped back into the moment he realized Michelle didn't really encompass the same ecstasy in her response to the news and he re-focused his eyes intently on her. "How do _you_ feel about this?"

Michelle looked down and cleared her throat, smiling dryly. "I- I'm happy. It's just.. I'm surprised, and we weren't really going to do this all over again, but now.."

"..but now we are. And that's ok. It's going to be ok." Tony soothed Michelle although she wasn't panicking. She wasn't the type to easily lose grip in a sudden situation - her twelve years of working for government crises and CTU attested to that - but Tony could tell she wasn't so enthused over the idea of doing the whole thing again. Pregnancy, taking care of another baby, raising another child... basically starting all over again. Tony detected she was probably also a little unsure of how she felt about it all so suddenly.

He smiled tenderly at her and her shifty eyes, squeezing her hands tighter. "Listen, Michelle. I know this is unexpected and unplanned, but everything's going to be good. I'm right here with you. We're gonna be ok, sweetheart."

He fixated his eyes on her, willing her insecurities to be settled, until the creases in her forehead finally disappeared and she nodded. A thin smile came through her lips as Tony brought his hand to the back of her neck and thumbed her cheek gently.

"You ok then?" he asked, still genuinely concerned about Michelle's handling of it all.

Her eyes brightened a little and she nodded again with a fuller smile this time. "Yeah," she confirmed as she glanced down at her abdomen. "I'm good. We're good."

Tony wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her into their bedroom and drawing out a squeal and giggles. "We're having a _baby_, Michelle!"

When he set her back on the ground, she looked at him, smiling bigger, and took in a breath. "So we're doing this again. We're having another kid."

Tony was glad to see her being lighthearted about it now. He nodded and played with a loose curl that hung by her face. "Yeah, we are."

Before another word could be said he pulled her lips into his passionately, firmly and lovingly, meshing hers with his own. When they pulled back after a breathless kiss, their foreheads rested against each other's. "I love you."

Michelle's lips curved up and she sighed into Tony, brushing her cheek against his as she brought her forehead down to rest on his collarbone. "I love you, Tony."

He wrapped his arms around his flustered wife and rubbed circles in her back. "Ah, Michelle. Baby, you know I'll be here for you. Whatever you need."

She kissed the base of his neck and played with his shirt collar, her forearms leaning against his chest. "I know you will. I'm not worried about that, Tony. You spoil me."

He matched the slightly teasing grin on her face with his own affectionate one and kissed her forehead. He had been given the three most wonderful things in the world, her and their children, and now she was giving him the fourth. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the sound of swift footsteps filled the hall.

Michelle glanced at the door and then back to Tony. "I hear little ones."

He groaned in mock disappointment as he leaned his forehead on hers and their noses pressed against each others. "We're not even gonna get to _celebrate_?"

Michelle giggled softly before grabbing the back of his head and pressing her lips into his. Desire and passion expressed themselves explicitly in a slow, deep kiss that had Tony feeling as good as drunk. He kept her bottom lip in his mouth for a few hot seconds before she pulled away completely and spoke in a low tone. "Tonight. I promise."

Her eyes teased him unfairly as he tried to catch his breath. "A'right. I'm holding ya to it."

Tony briskly kissed his wife's lips again then smiled at her adoringly, placing his hand gingerly on her stomach. "Ya think there's another little boy in here or another little Michelle?"

Michelle chuckled as Tony wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her sideways into him and gently smoothing his hand across her stomach. "I think it's a little early to tell, sweetheart."

"Take a guess."

Michelle's lips twisted as she bent her neck back to meet his eyes. "I think there's another little _you_ in here."

Tony kissed the top of her head, covering a shy grin. "I'll be good with either. I'm just happy we're having another baby."

* * *

><p>As the words came out of Tony's mouth the bedroom door creaked open slowly, revealing a wide-eyed little boy peering at him and Michelle with a less suspicious little Maddie beside him. "What are you guys talking about?" he questioned curiously.<p>

Tony exchanged a knowing look with Michelle as Anthony stepped hesitantly into the room with his sister following. "I'm just talking with your mom."

"About what?" Anthony pressed further, his big, brown eyes still wide and tenacious. "I heard you say we're having a baby. And you were rubbing Mom's tummy."

Tony sighed readily at the inevitable, and beckoned his son over to him. "C'mere, buddy. You too, Maddie." He scooped Anthony up and set him on their bed between him and Michelle then lifted Maddie onto his lap.

He caught Michelle running her fingers through their son's dark curls as Anthony's curiosity remained evident, eyes still locked on Tony for answers. He glanced at Michelle and she smiled, giving him the go ahead to drop the news. He kissed his daughters cheek before starting. "Ok guys, listen," he began bluntly, but slowly, not knowing how else to broach the subject. "There's a baby growing in Mommy's tummy. In a few months you two are gonna have a little brother or sister."

He waited for the reaction, though there was barely an immediate one. Anthony blinked a few times and appeared to be soaking in what he was told. "Mommy's... What?"

"I'm gonna have a baby, Anthony," Michelle reaffirmed, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. "Remember when Maddie was growing in my tummy? Well now there's another baby growing in here."

"Oh." Anthony studied Michelle's flat abdomen. His forehead crinkled. "How come I can't see him?"

Tony chuckled and patted his son's back. Last time Michelle was pregnant they had been able to avoid many of the typical dreaded questions, but at six, Anthony was old enough this time around that Tony expected they wouldn't be as lucky.

Running her hand through his hair again, Michelle answered Anthony gently, "Well, it takes time for the baby to grow, sweetheart. My tummy will start getting bigger as the baby gets bigger."

"How did he get in there?"

Michelle opened her mouth then stopped cold and looked at Tony who was trying to suppress a laugh. Her eyes grew big as she was clearly concocting an explanation. She blinked a few times and stuttered around. "Uh..."

"What makes you so sure it's a _he_?" Tony interrupted in an attempt to change the direction of the conversation.

Anthony, caught off guard, took another hard look at Michelle's stomach before placing his hand on it gingerly.

"Yeah, how do you know it's a boy? It could be a girl," Michelle added, obviously hoping to further distract their son from the previous question. Although, Tony was sure they would be having to answer it eventually. And knowing Anthony, probably sooner than later.

After a couple beats Anthony answered, "I.. I just think my little brother's in here."

Tony grinned and raised his eyebrows at Michelle who grinned back.

"Well we actually don't know yet, buddy," Michelle explained. "But we'll find out in a few months of it's a boy or a girl, kay?"

Anthony breathed out loudly. "Ok, but it's a brother."

Michelle giggled and tickled the resolute little guy, kissing his cheek buoyantly. "Silly boy."

Maddie, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, finally piped in. "We're getting a brother?"

Tony began chuckling at the unanimous brother theory. "You're getting a little brother _or_ sister, Madelyn."

"Oh. Yay!" Maddie jumped off of Tony's lap and began jumping on the bed with Anthony, excitement from the news beginning to take root.

Tony and Michelle enjoyed the sight for a minute before ending the little celebration party with orders that it was time to get ready for bed.

Tony looked back at his wife who was now smiling endearingly at their children as they scattered out of the room. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softy. Her eyes snapped back to him and he thumbed her knuckles. "Feeling better about this?"

Michelle sighed and looked down for a couple seconds before meeting Tony's gaze with a smile again. "Yeah. You're happy, the kids are excited... I couldn't be luckier to have another mini Almeida in my belly."

They both laughed softly and Tony pulled Michelle by the arm into his embrace. "I love you, Michelle."

He kissed her hair and her temple, and then her cheek, eventually stealing a sweet taste of her lips. Michelle remained silent and just held onto Tony, reveling in his embrace. She reached for his hand and settled it on her soon-to-be-baby-bump as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. "But are _you_ ready to see the extra pounds and swollen ankles and mood swings again?"

He knew _she_ wasn't and going through all that again was a major contribution to her ambivalence. Not to mention doing it all again at her age. They weren't old, but definitely were out of the targeted age range for having a new baby. To him, none of that mattered, of course. His Michelle never put him through anything that made him grind his teeth and she was somehow always breathtakingly gorgeous. With the extra pounds, swollen ankles, and all. Tony swept curls off of her forehead with the hand that wasn't settled on her abdomen, brushing her skin lightly with his fingers. "Honey, you _always_ look beautiful. And you know you don't need to worry about any of that stuff. I like pregnant you." Little did she know he had already been going over all these things in his mind and was not only ready, but eager for it all.

She sighed and giggled weakly, finding his bicep and kissing it lightly. "Mmmm. Thank you, sweetheart."

Tony kissed Michelle's head again and grabbed the portion of t-shirt covering her stomach, clutching the soft cotton in his hand and subconsciously squeezing her a little closer. "I love him already."

"Him?" Michelle questioned humorously. Tony felt her smiling against his chest now.

He snickered at himself for adopting Michelle's and Anthony's vibes. "I guess we'll find out in nine months."


End file.
